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      Ministry of Design creates lush “banking conservatory” for Citibank Singapore

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      Offices and meeting rooms are nestled among tropical plants in this wealth management centre in Singapore by local studio Ministry of Design.Conceived as a “banking conservatory”, the verdant scheme won an international competition launched by Citibank Singapore last year that invited entrants to reimagine the conventional interiors often associated with financial institutions.

      Ministry of Design has created a conservatory within the Citi Wealth Hub
      The brief set out by Citibank was to create a wealth management centre dedicated to its high net-worth clients, over an area of 2,787 square metres across floors six to nine of an office building on Singapore’s Orchard Road.
      Across its four levels, the Citi Wealth Hub has more than 30 client advisory rooms alongside flexible office and event spaces, making it the bank’s largest wealth advisory hub in the world.

      Levels seven and eight are filled with sinuous brass planters

      The site is distinguished by its soaring atrium with tinted glass walls and skylights that create ideal conditions for growing tropical plants.
      In recognition of this, the studio proposed an office scheme based around a lush conservatory that would anchor the entire office.

      Seating alcoves are nestled into the greenery
      On floors seven and eight, a series of social spaces are nestled within the greenery, including a bar, observation deck, garden pods, banquette seating and a central garden lounge with a honed Grigio Carnico marble bar.
      “The choreographed verdant and lush greenery evokes an atmosphere where everything seems to flourish in a natural and sustainable manner – a nod to the ideals of wealth management,” said Ministry of Design’s (MOD) director of development Joy Chan Seah.

      Garden pods replace traditional meeting rooms
      “Although drawing from the virtues of biophilic design, the scheme aims to create a cultured conservatory and not a wild forest,” she added. “Introducing a measure of control and order amidst nature’s abundance, we created a series of carefully detailed planter box arrangements.”
      These sinuous, hairline brass containers are lit from below to signpost pathways and meeting spaces among the foliage.

      They are outfitted with TV screens and acoustic panels
      On the seventh floor, garden pods were installed as an alternative to traditional meeting rooms. These are lined with acoustic panels and equipped with curved TV screens, concealed power points and cables for connecting laptops.
      In collaboration with landscape architecture studio ICN Design, MOD carefully selected plants that would adapt easily to an air-conditioned environment, thrive even in the shade and create four distinct vertical layers to offer varied views at every level.

      The planters are lit from below to help signpost pathways
      For the tallest level, the designers selected betel nut feature palms, while elegant, feathery parlour palms sit below their crowns at the second level with bushy saplings and big-leafed arums in the foreground.
      Feathery Boston ferns, rosette-leafed bird’s nest ferns and money plants occupy the lowest level, fringed by jungle-floor plants that are spotlit at night.

      Marble planters decorate the eighth floor
      The eighth floor is dedicated to Citigold Private Clients, leading the design team to opt for more luxurious materials such as walnut and marble, while an observation deck offers aerial views of the conservatory on the level below.

      SelgasCano completes plant-filled co-working space inside Lisbon market hall for Second Home

      Since this floor is less open to natural daylight, the planting here is smaller in both the horizontal and vertical scale, with planters set between desk alcoves and pathways.

      Walnut wood lines the walls to create a high-end finish
      Floors six and nine were conceived as “backstage areas” offering office space for the bank’s 210 relationship managers.
      They hold a variety of hot desks, collaboration tables and a town hall for meetings.

      Collaborative tables are fringed in planters
      Large planters help create a calming work environment on these levels and are filled with shade-loving plants that, in the wild, would grow low on the rainforest floor.
      Throughout the office, the temperature of the lighting is programmed to mirror human’s natural circadian rhythm and the movement of the sun, changing from blue to reddish undertones over the course of the day.

      A marble reception centres the eighth floor
      To keep the plants healthy the project uses a hydroponic system, in which plants are held in place by absorbent granules instead of soil.
      Grow lights with special LED bulbs that mimic natural sunlight are integrated within the recessed architectural lighting.

      Integrated lighting follows humans’ circadian rhythm
      “We’ve had really good responses from Citibank and from their clients so far,” the studio said. “They’ve said this is unlike any other wealth management hub they have seen.”

      10 plant-covered buildings that point to a greener future

      Studies have shown that access to green spaces, or even pictures of nature, can benefit workers’ mental health and improve performance in the office.
      As a result, a plethora of plant-filled workplace interiors have sprung up over the past few years, including this co-working space in Lisbon with over 1,000 potted plants and trees, while tropical flora provides privacy for workers inside an office in Utrecht.
      Photography is by KHOOGJ.

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      Beyond Space designs colourful office around reconfigurable grid system

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      Beyond Space has created a flexible office interior for a security company in Amsterdam using a colourful grid system that allows the user to change the layout when needed.Informed by an endless repeating grid system, the studio used a structure made from beams and columns to knit together two office floors.

      Top: office interior by Beyond Space. Above: white aluminium beams and columns run throughout the interior
      The rigid grid was constructed from aluminium to create a structural framework that gives the client the freedom to organise and reconfigure the space within it, by dismantling and moving walls as needed.
      “Should the nature or ambitions of the company change, the grid offers flexibility. Walls can easily be dismantled and rebuilt on another point in the grid,” Beyond Space said.

      Yellow-trimmed windows and doors frame private workspaces

      Multicoloured trimmed doors and windows create privacy for workspaces and contrast against the rigid white framework. The studio also hoped the colour would emphasise the flexibility of the space.
      “We wanted to put the emphasis on the fact that these doors and windows are infills in the grid and by making them a contrasting colour, the difference between the grid and the infills becomes clear,” Beyond Space cofounder Stijn de Weerd told Dezeen.

      Plants are encouraged to grow around and up the frame
      Painted concrete serves as a base for the office floor, while zoned areas and infill rooms were made from a wide range of materials including coloured MDF, corrugated sheets and fabrics.
      Carpets in meetings rooms and felt contouring against corrugated-metal walls add texture and softness to the otherwise rigid theme.

      Note Design Studio creates colourful interiors to “break the grid” of 1930s office building

      “The corrugated metal, coloured MDF, felt, solid surface and carpet were chosen to create a diverse palette of different colours and rich textures which don’t remind you of a typical office,” said de Weerd.
      Plants have been spread out throughout the space and add an organic feel to the aluminium grid.

      Glass partitions divide the spaces within the white frame
      A white perforated spiral staircase centres the space and links the two levels of the office.
      Pastel-hued furnishings provide a contrast against the white grid and fixtures, as the studio said it was important to maintain a balanced feel.
      “We wanted to combine the apparently opposite: strict but playful, cosy as well as radical,” said de Weerd.

      Colourful furnishings contrast with the starkness of the fixtures
      Beyond Space was launched in 2020 by Remi Versteeg and de Weerd, who had previously founded Space Encounters, and works across art, architecture and product design.
      Among the architects’ projects at Space Encounters are a tile-clad office building on stilts above a brick warehouse and also and office interior which uses soft partitions to divide space.
      Photography is by Lorenzo Zandri.
      Project credits:
      Project team: Remi Versteeg, Stijn de Weerd, Arnoud Stavenuiter, Menno Brouwer, Matilde ScaliContractor: Verwol, OpmeerPlants: Het Groenlab, AmsterdamContract furniture: Lensvelt Contract Furniture, BredaConsultant fire safety: DGMRStructural engineer: De Ingenieursgroep, Amsterdam

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      Note Design Studio creates colourful interiors to “break the grid” of 1930s office building

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      Stockholm-based Note Design Studio used neutral colours and contrasting bright hues to reinvigorate the interiors of the Douglas House office building in London.Note Design Studio designed the Douglas House office space, which has 700 desks spread over six floors, for office developer The Office Group (TOG). It had previously designed the Summit House property for the company.

      Note Design Studio used natural materials and bright colours for the interiors of Douglas House
      The Swedish studio aimed to “break the grid” of the 14,235-square-metre 1930s office building, which has a vertical layout and red brick-facade.
      “As a building, Douglas House is very ‘rational’ in its architecture,” designer Johannes Carlström told Dezeen. “Even though it stretches quite far horizontally, it was vertical in its structure and spatial program.”

      Pieces by contemporary design brands are used throughout the space

      “We realised early that we wanted to ‘break the grid’ of the building and deliver an interior less predictable than what is expected from the industrial appearance of the facade,” he added.
      “That also related to a more abstract idea about breaking the conformity of our everyday lives, to design a place that actually shakes you up a bit when entering for your workday.”

      The studio focused on how the space would make users feel
      While many office spaces are designed to enhance productivity, Note Design Studio said its focus for Douglas House was more on creating the right feeling and mood.
      To create a space that would, in the words of the studio, bring a “gentle punch” to office design, it used contrasting colours and materials throughout the space.
      “The palette ranges from deep ochres to brisk light blues, calm chalk tones, popping reds and vivid blues,” Carlström said.

      Meeting rooms are painted in calm blue nuances
      The studio aimed to keep as much of the original details as possible but had to replace a lot of materials that were in poor condition. The original wooden floors, however, were lifted, renovated and put back into place.
      “We have worked with giving the building a more defined character by using materials that will live long together with the building itself,” Carlström said.

      A curvilinear glass wall connects the main spaces and adds privacy to meeting rooms
      A curvilinear wall made from glass blocks has been added to the ground floor to connects its three main public spaces.

      Note Design Studio includes recharge room in central London co-working space for TOG

      “It stretches through the whole building giving spatial richness to the promenade between different functions of the ground floor as well as a vivid backdrop enhanced by the activity of the meeting rooms that are blurred through the glass blocks,” Carlström explained.
      “The curve also creates unique footprints for the meeting rooms and the three communal spaces, which with a straight wall would have been more or less identical to one another in terms of space.”

      Materials such as ceramic tiles were chosen for their durability
      Other materials used for the project were chosen for their durability, as office buildings experience extensive wear and tear, and their reusability. They include steel, glass and ceramic tiles, as well as 100 per cent recyclable Tarkett IQ plastic wall and floor coverings.
      Douglas House was also given solar panels and a green biodiverse roof to further enhance its sustainability credentials.

      The Douglas House reception features a desk clad in Ettore Sottsass’ veneer
      Note Design Studio also added a number of design touches to the interior, including a reception desk in Ettore Sottsass veneer for Alpi in a striking blue-grey colour, and pieces from brands including Artrex and Muller van Severen in bright hues.
      Newly commissioned pieces from artists and designers including Jenny Nordberg, Jochen Holz, Wang & Söderström, Philipp Schenk-Mischke, James Shaw, Mijo Studio and Studio Furthermore also fill the building.

      Pale blue chairs contrast beige tiles and dark wood
      Douglas House also includes an “oxygen room” – a plant-filled space where the idea is that workers can relax and connect with nature, the “recharge room”, gym, cafe and a mothers’ room which is dedicated to nursing mothers.
      “We have worked with the whole building and designed small or big things on every square metre basically,” Carlström said. “A lot of the office spaces are done in the same manner, but the public and communal spaces all have their unique design attributes.”

      Earthy, warm hues create a welcoming feel
      Douglas House has 700 desks for over 1,000 employees and opened in November 2020. Note Design Studio thinks the final design has succeeded in creating a different kind of office space.
      “From our point of view it differs on many levels – it has a lot more expression than you normally see in an office space, a diversity of tempos and functions allowing people to choose what suits them best that specific day,” Carlström said.
      Among the studio’s other recent projects are the pastel-coloured Mantelpiece Loft interiors in Stockholm and a reusable trade fair stand for Vestre.
      Photography is courtesy of The Office Group.

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      DU Studio revamps Zhengzhou Yutong Bus headquarters

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      Dezeen promotion: DU Studio has redesigned the headquarters of Zhengzhou Yutong Bus in Zhengzhou, China, creating an updated corporate identity while reusing up to 60 per cent of the existing structure and materials.Zhengzhou Yutong Bus – China’s largest electric bus manufacturer – commissioned interior design firm DU Studio in 2017 to update its head office and create a space that better reflected company’s successful development in recent years.
      The goal was to improve the building’s spatial efficiency, aesthetics and sustainability, creating a multifunctional environment while reusing the majority of the existing structure and materials.

      A three-storey green wall towers over the main sales lobby at the Zhengzhou Yutong Bus headquarters

      Located in Zhengzhou’s Jingkai District, the headquarters comprises of a 12-storey research and development building and a 15-storey sales office – totalling approximately 60,000 square metres that encompasses multiple lobbies, public spaces, workspaces and VIP areas.
      “The main challenge of this renovation was to make the best use of the existing structure, materials, and equipment, and to upgrade the function and aesthetics of the space as much as possible so that it better fit Yutong’s corporate culture,” said DU Studio founder Zhu Ping.

      Curving room dividers and tables in the financial hall mimic the design of the brand’s buses
      The studio overhauled the main lobby of the sales building, creating a green wall that stretches three levels to bring plants into the building and underscore the renovation’s sustainability goals.
      A new sculptural reception desk features three metal rings, one on the floor as the desk itself and two suspended from a central column.

      DU Studio added improved lighting in the financial hall, including a light box to create a more human scale
      These rings symbolise the wheels of the buses manufactured by the company, and one features a bright digital display screen. DU Studio added new ceiling lights to make the space feel brighter and more welcoming.
      The studio also switched up the lighting in the building’s financial hall, putting a large light box in the ceiling to create softly diffused light. Low, curving room dividers and tables mimic the design of the brand’s buses.

      In the sales reception hall, planters represent gears and the lights are wheels
      The light box “brings the space to the human body scale, increasing the intimacy and forming a cozy waiting area,” according to Ping.
      DU Studio also channelled this mechanical inspiration into the tree-filled planter benches in the sales reception hall, which are designed to look like gears biting together.

      Black panels were added to the hall to help absorb sound
      Ring-shaped pendant lamps are suspended over this atrium and also represent wheels, while doubling as sound-absorption units. To further improve the acoustics in the hall, black panels were added to act as sound baffles and break up the harsh reflective surfaces.
      Each office floor has a dedicated coffee area for employees to use, as well as two new cafes for visitors to the headquarters.

      Wood panels fixed to the walls at different angles are influenced by the movement of gear wheels
      For the second-floor cafe, located next to the exhibition area, DU Studio used burnished metal panels to evoke machinery parts.
      Another cafe, located on the building’s 15th floor, is intended to be used by overseas business visitors. Tranquil blue hues were chosen to evoke the ocean, while white ceiling panels installed at different heights mimic clouds.

      The 15th-floor cafe for overseas visitors is designed to be calm
      Wooden panels line the atrium reserved for VIP guests, which also features trees in planters to represent growth and prosperity. “The renovation design used dense and varied wood grain grids to raise up the three-story height, unifying the visual effect and strengthening the vertical sense of the space,” said Ping.
      In the research and development building, DU Studio transformed the previously cramped lobby into a two-storey space covered with a futuristic stainless steel ceiling and glass walls.

      Wood panels and trees can be found in the VIP atrium
      Each R&D office floor is equipped with exhibition and social spaces for employees to gather in, helping to foster a sense of community.
      For the communal spaces of the offices, display shelves feature a decorative pattern of tyre tracks. Lots of different types of seating give employees a range of comfortable places to meet or work from.

      Tyre tracks are printed on the walls of the office space
      Splashes of blue, the Yutong Bus livery colour, brighten up the open-plan desk areas, which feature lots of plants too. A pattern of buses picked out in grey over a blue wall decorates the office’s storage space.
      Since its completion in November 2020, over 5,000 employees have moved into the revamped headquarters. DU Studio hopes to have created an environment in which they can work more efficiently and enjoyably.

      A motif of buses decorates the open-plan office
      “It was important to analyse in great detail the corporate structure and functional requirements of the spaces, take full use of the existing materials and conditions, and strive to achieve maximum improvement on the quality of the spaces that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and same time provide a strong sense of comfort and well-being,” said Ping.
      The designer founded her Shanghai-based studio around the principles of developing “healthy, humanistic and happy” spaces that include retail, offices, education centres and more. Visit the firm’s website for more information.
      Project credits:
      Client: Zhengzhou Yutong BusInterior design: DU Studio (向合空间)Design director: Zhu PingInterior design group: Cai Xinhang, Jiang Yishan, Shen YiwenTechnology consultant: Yan GangLighting: BPI
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for DU Studio as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Threefold Architects unveils a model for post-Covid co-working

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      Threefold Architects has completed Paddington Works, a co-working and events space in London that was designed around wellness principles.Paddington Works combines a mix of spaces that include private studios, shared co-working spaces, meeting rooms and a multi-purpose auditorium, all arranged over two storeys.

      Paddington Works includes a mix of private studios and shared workspaces
      Workspaces are designed to be agile, providing different spaces to suit various activities. There are also a range of health-conscious building services, such as fresh air filtration and adaptive lighting systems.
      At a time when many co-working offices are trying to adjust to the changes in work habits prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, this project offers a model for the future of shared workspaces.

      Wellness principles influenced the layout, material choices and building systems

      “I think co-working spaces could thrive if they adapt following the pandemic,” said Matt Driscoll, one of the three co-founders of Threefold Architects.
      “So much time spent working at home has brought into sharp focus the simple things we take for granted that are vital to our wellbeing,” he told Dezeen.
      “A moment to gaze out the window, an escape from Zoom for a walk in the park, impromptu chats with our neighbours; we will attribute far greater importance to these small things.”

      Spaces incorporate fresh air filtration and adaptive lighting systems
      Paddington Works builds on Threefold’s research into how incorporating wellness principles into architecture can create healthier and happier environments, which has previously fed into workspace designs for Airbnb and Pocket Living.
      These principles were central to the design brief, even though Paddington Works was designed long before the pandemic.

      Threefold Architects completes Airbnb’s latest London office

      The air circulation system, which includes anti-viral filtration, is designed to bring 25 per cent more fresh air into the building than is typical.
      Meanwhile the lighting system uses intelligent LEDs to adjust the colour temperature of the light throughout the day, to suit circadian rhythms.

      The workspaces are divided into clusters
      The layout of the interior, organised over two storeys, was also designed with occupants in mind. Spaces are divided up into clusters to allow small communities to form within the building.
      Each cluster has its meeting rooms and breakout spaces, organised around a kitchen and social space.
      “I think many of the principles of wellness are intuitive to architects – providing good natural light, visual amenity, excellent acoustics, and air quality,” said Drisscoll.

      Each cluster has its own meeting rooms and breakout spaces
      “Beyond how the spaces feel, we are also interested in how they will be used and how people move around them and interact with each other,” he continued.
      “There should be quiet places to be alone, vibrant places to collaborate, and everything in between. We’ve always put generous social spaces at the heart of our schemes, for people to come together in their downtime, spaces to support, create and promote a culture within a business.”

      A flexible auditorium can be used for both events and casual working
      At the heart of the scheme is a flexible auditorium, designed as a huge set of wooden steps. The space can be used to host lectures, screenings and presentations, but it can also be a day-to-day informal work or meeting space.
      Each step incorporates a series of pull-out “drawer desks”, which can be used for laptops or notebooks. There are also power points for charging devices.
      “It doubles as a staircase between the levels and becomes a type of forum, a public space within the building,” explained Drisscoll.

      The materials palette includes rough-sawn oak and terrazzo
      The materials palette responds to the industrial heritage of the Paddington Basin area, with steel fabrications that recall the structure of the Brunel-designed train station. These are paired with textural materials like rough-sawn oak and terrazzo.
      Many of the industrial elements of the design are concealed, for instance, perforated metal screens cover the air filtration units.

      Steel fabrications reference the area’s industrial heritage
      Paddington Works is a joint venture between co-working operator Space Paddington and Westminster Council, aimed at startups in the creative and technology industries.
      As a result of its wellness-focused design, the building was able to adopt social distancing and hygiene measures brought in by the pandemic. Contactless hand sanitisers and anti-microbial fittings were among features already included in the design.
      Drisscoll believes co-working spaces like this one will continue to become more common in the future, as companies look to adopt more flexible working models for their staff.

      Paddington Works is aimed at startups in the creative and technology industries
      “I think flexible working is here to stay,” he said. “Previously reticent organisations have seen it can work and work well; people enjoy more control of what they do.”
      “We may see a trend towards decentralisation – large organisations with acres of office and fields of desks could shift towards smaller workplaces,” he added.
      “This could see an increase in local work hubs, with co-working spaces in residential areas providing excellent places for work closer to home, and spaces close to major transport hubs allowing people to easily travel to from distance to get together.”
      Photography is by Charles Hosea.

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      Kingston Lafferty Design incorporates wellness spaces into Belfast co-working office

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      Dublin interiors firm Kingston Lafferty Design has incorporated green walls, a yoga studio and rooftop terrace across the eight floors of this co-working office in the centre of Belfast, Northern Ireland.Commissioned by property developer Magell, Kingston Lafferty Design (KLD) was asked to create warm and welcoming interiors for the 2,787-square-metre office — called Urban HQ — which breaks the traditional office mould.

      Above: a custom pendant is suspended in the walnut-clad boardroom. Top image: green walls feature throughout the office
      Informed by how the boundaries between work and leisure have become increasingly blurred in the past decade, the firm said it wanted the complex to provide workers and visitors with relaxed and informal spaces as well as areas for focused work.
      In addition to the more traditional private working booths, open offices and meeting rooms, Urban HQ also features dedicated wellness and focus rooms, co-working areas, coffee docks and a central lounge and event space that employees can move freely between.

      Curtains help to separate spaces

      “Psychologically, it is beneficial to have a completely different environment to escape to from the desk,” KLD founder Róisín Lafferty told Dezeen.
      “For us it was about the details, creating interesting nooks and crannies throughout that provide that varied experience and cater to people’s unique behaviours throughout the day.”

      TP Bennett retrofits 1970s office building with Manchester’s largest living wall

      “We wanted to create spaces that are as warm and welcoming to one person working alone as they are for large groups of people working together,” she added.

      A collaborative space can be closed off from the main kitchen with partitions
      To support this relaxed atmosphere, the firm selected a palette of inviting, homely materials — such as stone, leather, slatted wood, velvet and brass — that vary throughout the building to give each area a distinctive feel.
      The ground floor, for example, is designed to be an adaptable space that can accommodate a variety of different activities from collaborating to socialising.

      A timber walkway guides guests to the reception desk
      To provide a visual distinction between these functions, KLD used different flooring finishes and lighting as well as subtle variations in colour tones.
      Visitors to the building are welcomed into a double-height lobby space clad in timber and anchored by a custom floating light installation. From here, a set of doors leads to the ground floor reception area, where a timber walkway guides them to a cube-shaped mirror and stainless-steel desk that appears to levitate above the blue marble floor.

      The desk is clad in mirror and stainless-steel
      Another set of double glass doors leads guests through into the canteen, which Lafferty describes as the “main hub” of the building. Resembling an open kitchen in a restaurant, it features a central bar made from mirrored brass and terrazzo surrounded by upholstered bench seating.
      “The ground floor is where the energy is in the building,” Lafferty said. “It is the place where all the different people can mix and mingle, chill out, catch up and socialise. The layout plays a big part in this. One of the key things I wanted to do from the start was create a central hub that draws people in.”

      The canteen space is anchored by a central bar made from mirrored brass and terrazzo
      Other ground floor spaces include a walnut-clad boardroom and a series of collaborative and social spaces. Green walls, ceilings and planters are integrated throughout.
      “Psychologically, the link to nature enhances the feeling of tranquillity,” Lafferty explained. “It is also proven to stimulate productivity and positive thinking.”

      Booths line the walls around the central bar
      The upper floors are accessed through secret doors concealed within the entrance lobby, leading to the stairwell, lifts and additional toilets.
      Each floor offers a range of different kinds of offices – from small, two-person set-ups to full-floor office expanses with their own reception.
      Each floor also has a series of spacious meeting rooms, meeting pods, four-person meeting and lunch booths, and colourful kitchen spaces designed to contrast with the surrounding offices.

      One large wellness room is located on the first floor
      The wellness room is located on the first floor and can be used for yoga classes, meditation and other tech-free activities to help members unwind.
      “The wellness room is a forward-thinking approach to office design as it provides a calming space where members are encouraged to disconnect and recharge away from their desk,” said Lafferty.
      “The design was kept minimal, incorporating tactile finishes through cork flooring and suspended planting combined with a mirror to fill the room with natural light – all proven to contribute to overall workplace wellbeing.”

      The rooftop offers rare views across Belfast
      “One of the biggest treats in the building is located on the top floor,” she added. “The rooftop garden looks out over Belfast city with the historic copper roofs. With ample seating and tables, this is a perfect spot for an after-work drink, a special party or an event. It is rare to get this in Belfast.”
      Elsewhere in the UK, TP Bennett recently retrofitted a 1970s office building in Manchester with the city’s biggest living wall.
      Photography is by Mariell Lind Hansen.

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      Buckley Gray Yeoman gives Panagram office in London a “retro-pop aesthetic”

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      UK architecture studio Buckley Gray Yeoman has revived a 1980s office building in Central London, creating colourful spaces using painted ductwork, translucent curtains and speckled terrazzo.The newly opened Panagram encompasses 4,830 square metres in the city’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood and offers rentable office spaces across multiple levels.

      Buckley Gray Yeoman’s renovation of the 1980s building included creating an open and informal reception area
      Using the original building’s pink granite cladding as a design cue, the team at Buckley Gray Yeoman devised a colourful scheme for the interior renovation to create a relaxed setting.
      “A retro-pop aesthetic has replaced the corporate look and feel of the building as physical and metaphorical barriers are broken down to bring about a more convivial and lively set of workspaces,” said the architecture studio.

      The foyer features subway-tiled seating but no reception desk

      To modernise the existing architecture, glazing was added along the ground floor facing Goswell Road – a thoroughfare that is home to store locations of several prominent design brands.
      Visitors enter from the street into a large open-plan foyer, furnished with custom seating elements but no traditional reception desk – hosts emerge from a behind a translucent curtain instead.

      A koi carp pond sits in the centre of the tiled bench
      The sculptural seats include a plinth clad in white New York City subway tiles, with a koi carp pond and a bright yellow steel column at its centre. Another is wrapped in leather and surrounds a ficus tree.

      Fashion Street by Buckley Gray Yeoman

      “We have tried to create an almost gallery-type space upon entry; with a series of beautiful objects set amongst planting and trees,” said Oliver Bayliss, director at Buckley Gray Yeoman.
      “These accents continue throughout the building and provide moments of joy that will hopefully lift the spirits of the people who pass through.”

      A wooden staircase with bleacher-style seating creates a multi-purpose space
      A wooden staircase that incorporates bleacher-style seating and another ficus curves down to the garden-level, combining circulation space with an informal work, meeting or auditorium area.
      Lifts illuminated with coloured lighting connect the expansive rentable office spaces on the levels above, and ductwork is painted pink and blue on alternating levels.

      Lifts to the upper office levels are illuminated with coloured lighting
      On the second floor, Buckley Gray Yeoman has designed a workspace to demonstrate the potential of Panagram’s spatial offering.
      This model office combines pale timber, soft colours and translucent materials to continue the playful aesthetic seen downstairs.

      Buckley Gray Yeoman’s showcase office for Panagram features a pale palette with pastel colours
      A casual meeting area is enclosed by a sheer yellow curtain and furnished with comfy chairs, while private booths are lined in grey felt.
      Drapes are also used to partition the wood-lined reception area and the green-themed kitchen if needed. In the bathrooms, white subway tiles are paired with tinted speckled terrazzo.

      Colour continues in the green kitchen, which can be partitioned off with a translucent grey curtain
      The open-plan office layout benefits from plenty of natural light, and is peppered with potted plants. More greenery can be found on terraces that offer City of London views.
      “It’s easy to look at a building like this and assume you have to start again,” said Bayliss.
      “We saw an opportunity to create something really different and highly sustainable. Panagram has great volume and therefore great natural light, which in turn allows the building to be extremely desirable and flexible.”

      Panagram is located in London’s Clerkenwell neighbourhood, facing onto Goswell Road
      Buckley Gray Yeoman, which has offices in London and Bristol, is known for its imaginative conversion and restoration projects. The employee-owned firm has also turned a fire-damaged former market hall in Shoreditch into Corten-clad university offices, and was profiled as part of Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival last year.
      Photography is by Jack Hobhouse.
      Project credits:Client: DorringtonArchitect: Buckley Gray YeomanContractor: Open ContractsProject manager: Blackburn & CoStructural engineers: Heyne Tillett SteelPlanning consultant: JLLLandscape architect: SpacehubBranding and design agency: Everything In BetweenM&E consultant: Peter Deer and AssociatesQuantity surveyor: ExigereLighting Designer: Pritchard ThemisFire engineer: MLMRights of Light/Party Wall surveyor: Point2SurveyorsBuilding control: MLMBuilding app: Smart SpacesIT consultants: DP SystemsAgents: Colliers, Allsop, Richard Susskind & CompanyBuilding managers: Workman

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      Studio Aisslinger designs LOQI office with social distancing in mind

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      Studio Aisslinger has created an adaptable workplace for accessories brand LOQI, featuring coloured curtains, folding screens and “work capsules”.Located in Berlin, the LOQI Activity Office serves as the European headquarters for the American company, which specialises in totes and weekend bags produced in collaboration with artists.

      The office contains a mix of different work zones
      The workspace is designed to support creativity and collaboration, but also to create a safe and supportive environment for staff in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
      To satisfy both of these conflicting requirements, Studio Aisslinger planned the space as a series of distinct but flexible zones, facilitating solo work, group workshops and a range of activities in between.

      Contrasting colours help to signal different areas

      “The workspace is treated like living, breathing organisms that adapt to accommodate a team deciding on flexibility, autonomy and the ability to choose when and how they work,” explained the studio, which is led by designer Werner Aisslinger.
      “The result is an office space of a different kind – a lively and inspiring working landscape, breaking through the grey schematism of standardised workstation units.”

      Folding metal screens are used as partitions
      The office comprises a large open-plan space, so the design team had to find creative ways to demarcate different areas.
      Partitions were designed to be as adaptable as possible, in the form of heavy fabric curtains and perforated metal screens. A bold colour scheme was also applied, so it’s clear where one area ends and another begins.

      Studio Aisslinger’s Work Capsules provide spaces of solitude
      Isolated workspaces are provided by Studio Aisslinger’s Work Capsules – a design previously created for the 25Hours Hotels.
      With felt-covered exteriors and a bubble window, these pods allow occupants to find privacy and separation, without being completely cut off from the more public activities going on around them.

      Meeting areas are framed by curtains, so they can be opened or closed
      There are various other types of workspace on offer, including large desks with integrated lighting fixtures, a pink tiled bar, standing desks, bleacher-style seating areas and sofa booths.
      Meeting areas are dotted through the centre of the space, framed by curving curtain rails. These spaces feature fluffy carpets, which not only give them a different aesthetic but also help to create acoustic baffling.
      These spaces are all furnished with Studio Aisslinger designs, including the Aspen pendant lights for B.lux and the Circle Barstools.

      A change in floor surface gives meeting areas a different feel
      LOQI is one of many companies that have had to think more carefully about how they plan their offices, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

      Meditation chambers by Office Of Things wash workers in colourful light

      The virus appears to have accelerated trends for partitioned spaces and mobile pods, with examples including a converted warehouse in Melbourne and a series of meditation chambers in YouTube and Google offices.

      Fabric panels line the walls, to improve acoustics
      With this design, Studio Aisslinger highlights the need for flexibility in the workplace, allowing people to find solitude when they need it, but to also bring people together.
      They studio describes the project as “a complex, constantly changing conglomerate of working areas, break-off units and work capsules”.
      The aim was to create an environment that people are proud to call their workplace, and perhaps even share on their social media platforms.

      Staff can choose to work seated or standing
      “New offices being planned for the near future will less emphasise communal co-working areas but nevertheless we all need new spaces for interaction or idea generation and collaboration,” added the design team.
      “Flexible and open, the room adapts to its respective needs, creating space for playful creativity, for that dance of mind and body that is needed to gain new ideas.”

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